"Diego and I grew up together... We grew up like brothers, " Hunter says, taking slow sips of his beer, his eyes looking ahead.

I guess that's why they have such a strong bond. They have known each other for years.

"I've seen Diego grow into the person he is today, and I know almost everything about him," He touches his forehead as he says this, massaging it very slowly.

I become distracted when I see this, wanting very badly to tell him to stop. But I force myself to look away from his movements, knowing fully well that I won't get this opportunity again.

What Hunter will say here might shade some light on why Mr Martino is the way he is. I might finally understand why he has mental health problems.

"Diego and I were neighbors: we ate together, played together, and we did crazy shit together... We have always been inseparable," A smile graces his face when he says this, a chuckle escaping his lips as he wipes a stray tear that leaves the corner of his eye.

"We sneaked out every night to cause trouble in the neighborhood... We created so many memories that could get us arrested," He smirks, proudly.

I can tell that he is replaying the memories in his head by just looking at him. The sun reflects on his skin, making it glow to perfection.

I'll ask him what his skincare routine is when the case is over; hopefully, it won't be that expensive.

Hunter takes a deep breath, taking another sip from the bottle that he is grasping with so much strength. It's a miracle it hasn't broken yet.

"Diego was very active when we were younger; he was the notorious one between the two of us. He was and still is the smartest and most confident as well," Hunter states like a proud brother, his eyes lighting up whenever he mentions Mr Martino's name.

I smile when I see, however, my smile slips from my lips when I hear his next words.

"He was also the most abused in the group," Hunter confesses with a low voice, making my eyes widen as my mouth hangs open.

"W- what?" I stammer in disbelief, blinking rapidly.

I feel like I didn't hear him correctly. I don't want to believe what he just said.

Hunter turns to look at me with sadness in his eyes, nodding at me. "Diego was verbally and physically abused when we were younger," He repeats, confirming that I heard him right.

My hand shoots up, coving my mouth, which is still open in disbelief.

I really hoped I heard him wrong the first time. I really thought he had a good childhood.

My mind begins to wonder, trying to process everything that is going on.

Hunter doesn't pay any attention to me, though. He continues to sip on his beer, throwing the bottle in the trash can as he grabs the remaining two bottles, opening one with ease.

He gulps half of it down, releasing a deep breath afterwards. "Can I continue telling you what happened now? Are you no longer surprised, or a should I give you some more time to process everything that you just heard?" He asks, looking at me with no emotion.

The way Hunter's moods change is scary. It seems like he has bipolar issues.

"Yeah," I mutter under my breath, sighing in relief when he looks away from me.

"Diego always wore long sleeved shirts, and he never wore shorts. His body was always covered, and no one paid any attention to him: we all thought that that was his style," Hunter shakes his head, clenching the bottle very tightly in his hand.

I push myself away from him when I see this, afraid that he might do something to harm me. It's very evident that the man is angry... With who? I don't know.

"Diego began to distance himself from people as we grew older. He stopped speaking to people, unless they spoke to him," Hunter murmurs, taking a deep breath. "He always had eye bugs under his eyelids, and whenever I asked him about them, he said that the mosquitos were disturbing his sleep... I didn't think much of it, though. Because our neighborhood wasn't really that good,"

I fold my arms on the kitchen island, looking at Hunter with keen interest. It seems like the story he's saying has more stories to it.

"I only got to find out what he was going through when we went swimming. There was a lake a distance away from where we lived, and Diego and I always spent time there... Diego never swam there, but I did; and that day, I remember splashing water at him, which made him remove his shirt." Hunter chuckles, wiping the tears that fall from his eyes away.

My heart clenches in sadness when I see this, hating what is going on.

I can feel my eyes getting teary as well, but I blink my tears away, not wanting to miss anything that Hunter's saying.

"I was happy when I saw this, thinking that he was finally letting himself have fun. But what I saw next left me shocked: Diego had whip marks on his entire back, some were accompanied with burn marks," My mouth opens when I hear this, not believing what I am hearing.

"It was common for people to hit children as discipline in the neighborhood, but the marks on Diego's back were put there with the intention to murder."

Hunter does nothing to mask his pain and anger, the tears flowing freely from his eyes.

"Diego is a strong person. He has always been strong, but it seems like everything is becoming too overwhelming for him," Hunter sighs, finishing his beer.

"It's no secret that Diego and I are into shady business... People say crap about us, and we really don't care. A lot of things they say about us are lies; we don't do human trafficking, we don't sell drugs to youngsters, and we surely don't rape women." Hunter says, throwing the bottle away.

He grabs the remaining beer bottle, and I fight the urge to stop him, not wanting him to get drunk during the afternoons. Plus, it's not healthy the way he's drinking it like it's water.

"Diego actually helps people... He has helped a lot of people in the streets find jobs, and he has taken some to school. Diego uses clean money to do all this; he has multiple companies that help better the lives of so many people." Hunter confesses, leaning back in his seat.

Hunter goes silent after saying this, sipping his beer very slowly.

His eyes have turned bloodshed, a clear sign that he is tipsy, if not drunk.

"Can you tell me why he was arrested? Did he kill his abusers? Was he caught doing the shady business that you're talking about?" I question very slowly, looking into his eyes with all the confidence I can master.

I frown when he doesn't say anything, growing uncomfortable with the silence that fills the air.

"Diego wasn't arrested because of our business. Diego works smart, and I doubt people will find out where our business is," Hunter says, looking at the beer bottle like he's seeing it for the first time.

He puts the bottle down, grabbing a cigarette and lighter from his pocket. "Can I?" He asks, lifting the cancerous stick in the air.

I nod, watching as he lights it, placing it to his mouth.

Hunter is unpredictable. He might leave me here, just so he can go smoke outside. I wouldn't get any more information from him if I was to say no.

"His abusers are to blame for his arrest. They had a hand in the killing of his fiancée and child... Those two ruined his life; they made his life miserable. They beat the shit out of him when he got sick, saying that they spent money on him... His own parents ruined his life." Hunter clenches his fists, banging them on the table, which makes me flinch in my seat.

Though, I'm startled, my heart breaks when I finally process Hunter's words. What kind of parents do that to their own child?

I must voice my thoughts out, because Hunter looks at me emotionless, exhaling the poison in the air.

"Not all humans deserve to be called parents, Miss Rowlands. And not everyone that pretends to be holy is a Saint." Hunter states, his bloodshed eyes staring into mine.

Author's Note.